Coach John Harbaugh’s fears following the preseason opener were found to be true as defensive lineman Ryan McBean suffered a broken left ankle in the second quarter of the Ravens’ 31-17 win over Atlanta.

The 28-year-old will visit Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte early next week to discuss his options, one of which would be surgery. McBean was carted off the Georgia Dome turf and faces the prospects of missing the entire season.

McBean signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Ravens on May 7 and was already facing a three-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. Formerly a member of the Denver Broncos, McBean was expected to be a regular member of the Baltimore defensive line rotation.

“The guy is working hard, he’s tough, he’s physical,” defensive coordinator Dean Pees said about McBean last week. “[He] just kind of has to learn our technique that we want just a little better.”

With McBean’s season now in jeopardy, his absence improves the chances of veteran Ma’ake Kemoeatu and young defensive linemen Bryan Adams and DeAngelo Tyson grabbing spots on the 53-man roster.

A fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007, McBean collected 33 tackles and four sacks for Denver last season.

In other news, an MRI confirmed tight end Ed Dickson suffered only a sprained shoulder on Thursday night. He is expected to be back in time for the regular-season opener on Sept. 10.